St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church
Address
2311 N. Southport Ave.
Neighborhood
Lincoln Park
Architect
William Brinkmann, 1902
Website
Description
This shining example of a "Polish Cathedral"-style church occupies a prominent place on the streetscape of Lincoln Park's Southport Corridor. The St. Josaphat Roman Catholic congregation dates to 1883, when ground was broken for the first church-school-convent structure. The much larger present-day church was erected in 1902, designed by William Brinkmann, a specialist in church architecture who exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He masterfully incorporated Romanesque influences, evident in the massive twin bell towers. In 2000, the parish completed a major interior renovation, devising a more open and welcoming sanctuary and adding a new altar and baptismal font.